sick Archives - Leaf and Steel

What a month! January flew by. I wish I knew how to slow down time. There’s so much I want to do and so much I want to be. And so much that gets in the way.

Here’s a little wrap of the month!

The Not-Great:

I did NOT prioritize self-care. And it bit me in the you-know-what. By January 30th I realized that I had left my daughter a whopping 4 times that month, one of those times was just to run down the road to pick up takeout. I began to feel all the effects of burnout: I was tired but couldn’t sleep, irritability, weepiness, forgetfulness…you know the deal. Taking time away from my daughter the first week of February has renewed my spiritual peace and refreshed my patience level.

We all got sick. After 7 tests between the 3 of us, we apparently did not have the ‘vid. We all got some nasty virus and it took 3 months to move through the house.

The Good:

I took an Instagram break. I stayed off Instagram for the month of January and oh my goodness it was so hard at first, it was mind-boggling. I had no idea I was so (dare I say it) addicted to the app. After a few days I stopped reaching for my phone to check it or post a picture of my daughter. I saved hours of my time in January by not having Instagram. Now, I can only access it on my computer, and I’m considering staying off for the rest of the year.
I read two books. I don’t read, so this was a big deal for me. I read Nine Perfect Strangers and What Alice forgot, both by Liane Moriarty. Not exactly thought provoking stuff, but I will say that Moriarty knows how to keep the story going. I found myself staying up way past my bedtime to read.

We are getting a puppy! That’s the big news! We are getting a Vizsla puppy in March and I am so nervous and excited! I know it’s insane to have a toddler and a baby, so please start praying for me now.

February Hopes

Make time for reselling. I have a big pile of items I need to list on eBay!
Prioritize my health. This month, I want to stay consistent in healthy routines, including drinking more water, sticking with my yoga, and starting up intermittent fasting again.

Be present for my daughter. I need to put my phone away!

How was your January?

What are you goals for February?

Let me know below!

How to Survive Your 1-Year-Old’s First Blood Test

I was dreading him going back to work and having to take care of my daughter alone.

It felt like she needed so much and I was feeling so beyond sick.

Since my approach of chugging hot tea and loading up on Dayquil wasn’t exactly working, I knew I needed a plan for the week.

I wrote down a few of the things I was doing in my notes so that I could share it here once I was feeling better!

Make a List of the Things You HAVE to Do

Make a list of the things you have to do and then go through it with a red pen and par it down again. There really are so few things that are urgent and important. For me, that list looked like

Brushing my teeth
Feeding the cat

Feeding/changing/bathing my child
Eating
Showering

That’s it. I didn’t really need to do anything else, although it was easy to feel like I should have been doing more.

Automate Groceries

Using a service like Instacart is a great way to limit your contact with the outside world and shop from the comfort of your bed, if you can afford the extra fee! Another easy option is curbside pickup, which most retailers now offer. I ordered lots of prepared food when I was sick, so I wouldn’t have to cook. I also wouldn’t want a sick person cooking my food, even if it was my spouse.

Takeout is another easy option to limit stress so you can focus on getting better!

Use Instacart link for $10 off your order!

Sleep When the Baby Sleeps

If you’re like me, you haven’t done this in awhile. Aside from the occasional power nap, I no longer sleep when my baby is sleeping. I treasure nap time – it’s my glorified lunch break during the day where I get to work or read or do whatever I want.Well, when I was sick I passed out every moment I could. I napped every time she napped and sometimes I even napped again when my husband came home from work.

Prep Your Child’s Meals

I did this one every night when I had a little burst of energy and my husband was with the baby. I took some Post-Its and wrote down each of her snack and meal slots and decided what she was going to eat beforehand. Props to you if you’re already a person who does this!

It alleviated a lot of stress I was having about the next day.

Keep Entertainment Simple

Your kid doesn’t need to be constantly entertained by you, sick or not. Let them be bored! When I was sick, there was no park or library or adventures into the real world, and that’s okay! I wasn’t the mom I usually am or want to be when I was sick because I needed to focus on getting better. We all survived!

I spent most of the day curled up in a blanket, pillow on the nursery floor, keeping one eye peeled to make sure my daughter didn’t hurt herself.

Ask for Help

This one should go without saying, but delegate what you can. When friends offer to drop off soup or do your shopping, let them. I know I couldn’t have anyone physically come and help because I was probably contagious, but if I could have I would have let someone in to watch my daughter for a few hours.

Go to the Doctor if You Need to

My old fashioned sickness lasted a full week, which felt like forever. I had forgotten how when you’re sick it seems like you’ll feel that way forever. I’m still sniffling ten days later and I am kicking myself for not going to the doctor and getting on antibiotics. Next time, I won’t let pride get in the way of getting better!

I think as moms we can put ourselves on the back burner and think that we don’t need or deserve help.

So, those were the things I did to successfully take care of my baby and myself while I was sick.

What do you do when you’re sick and still have to take care of your responsibilities? Do you do anything on this list?Let me know below!
O.

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